Lukeboy Comics
The Lukeboy Comics were a comic series published by DLC that ran from 2003 to 2010. They were adapted from the character introduced in Detective L Comics volume 11, and follow Lukeboy as he is trained in Ninjutsu to battle against the evil Spider Monkey. Characters Heroes Luke "Lukeboy" - Luke is the main protagonist and titular character of the series. After being separated from his family during Spider Monkey's takeover, he is taken in and trained by the Caretaker to fight back against the villain. Ana - Ana is Lukeboy's higher-up and partner in crime. She is protective of Lukeboy, and often saves the day when things get too out of hand. Sean "Trouble Machine" - Sean is one of the Caretaker's students, who specializes in technology and gadgets. He often operates from the base and communicates with Lukeboy over a radio. The Caretaker - The Caretaker is a master and teacher of Ninjutsu who trains Lukeboy and his group. He serves as a voice of reason and often communicates back and forth with Lukeboy. Trevorman - Trevorman is the a graduate of the Caretaker's who has mastered Ninjutsu. He fights crime on his own time, receiving help from Holly and Travis. Officer Dillon - Officer Dillon is the police chief. He is supportive of Lukeboy, and assists him when the opportunity arises. Holly - Holly is one of Trevorman's closest friends, who is often targeted by his enemies. She acts as a reasonable voice when Lukeboy and Trevorman disagree. Travis Carlson - Travis is Trevorman's gadget provider and technology expert. He supplies Trevorman with the tools necessary to fight crime. Villains Shatian "Spider Monkey" Wu - Spider Monkey is a scientist from China who successfully perfected transmutation. Using his advanced power and technology, Spider Monkey attempts to overtake the city of Chicago. Chelsea "Bobcat" Alastair - Bobcat is a cannibalistic vigilante who feeds on people out of spite. She is often accompanied by Natalia. Natalia - Natalia is the seductive ally of Bobcat, often using her good looks and charming nature to get her way. Dr. Flicker - Dr. Flicker is a transmutation of Jonathan and Janet Flicker. They are a technology expert and Trevorman's greatest enemy. The Crooked Cook - The Crooked Cook is a spiteful chef who kills public figures by poisoning them. His defeat becomes the subject of argumentation between Lukeboy and Trevorman. Anti-Luke - Anti-Luke is an evil entity created by Spider Monkey in Lukeboy's image. He mirrors Lukeboy's moves and knows how to counter them. Anti-Ana - Anti-Ana is an evil entity created by Spider Monkey in Ana's image. She mirrors Ana's moves and knows how to counter them. Issues See also: List of Lukeboy Comics A New Hero A superhuman terrorist called Spider Monkey attacks the city of Chicago, swearing to build a "new society." In his terror, a young student named Luke is taken into the underground temple by the Caretaker. He decides to stay with the Caretaker and train with his fellow students in the art of Ninjutsu, intent on taking Spider Monkey down. He is trained by his upperclassman, Ana, and receives gadgets from tech-expert, Trouble Machine. Luke becomes Lukeboy, a superhero that continually thwarts Spider Monkey's plans. The Cat Lukeboy meets Officer Dillon, and swears to prove himself to the Chicago Police Department by taking down the murderous cannibal called "the Bobcat." With Ana's help, he discovers Bobcat to be a fellow ninja named Chelsea Alastair, who went rogue at a young age. They capture Bobcat and her assistant, Natalia, but the two escape from prison, and Lukeboy must take on both them and Spider Monkey at the same time. Two Heroes Impressed by Lukeboy's capture of Bobcat, fellow superhero, Trevorman, requests Lukeboy's help in defeating a mad two-faced scientist named Dr. Flicker. They rescue Trevorman's friend, Holly, from the scientist, and continue to work together to battle both him and Spider Monkey. Disgraceful Acts Holly begins to develop feelings for Lukeboy, but Lukeboy and Trevorman start disagreeing a lot more. They are sent to investigate a series of politically-charged murders, and trace the culprit down to Thomas Halligar, the Crooked Cook. When Trevorman chooses to let the Crooked Cook die, Lukeboy breaks off their partnership. Holly chooses to stay in the underground temple with Lukeboy, while Trevorman disappears. Anti-Luke A villain with Lukeboy's face appears and commits crimes in his name. Battling his crippling reputation, the hero tracks down the doppelganger. Lukeboy discovers that the doppelganger is named Anti-Luke, and is a clone created by Spider Monkey. Anti-Luke and his sidekick, Anti-Ana, capture Lukeboy and terrorize Chicago in his absence. When Lukeboy escapes, he reunites with Trevorman. The heroes settle their differences and save the city, but Trevorman is killed in the process. In a fit of rage, Lukeboy kills Anti-Luke and Spider Monkey, then retires from heroics. Out of Retirement After graduating from the underground temple, Lukeboy lives a normal life with Holly, until Anti-Ana breaks out of Westchester Asylum and attacks Chicago once again. After some convincing from Ana, Lukeboy pulls out the costume once more, and returns to being a superhero. Development The DLC company was founded in 2000, entering the comic scene with their first issue of Detective L Comics, written by Lou Polish and Lester Levi. The comics featured various heroes taking on vigilante work, but no character ever appeared twice until the sixth volume. In the sixth volume, Tim Robins replaced Levi in writing "Trevorman and the Stolen Gauntlet." This became their most popular volume, and brought attention to the series. Due to its popularity, the next three issues starred the character of Trevorman. During this time, Polish and Robins argued over the direction to take the series. Robins believed that emphasizing Trevorman was key, and began writing his own spin-off starring the character, Trevorman Comics. In volume 11, Polish introduced the second superhero character in the comic, "Who is Lukeboy?" The comic involved numerous cases of criminals being hunted by an unknown crusader. Police chief Officer Dillon is tasked with investigating this crusader, only to discover it is Lukeboy, a ninja hero trained under a man called the Caretaker. These three characters would frequently appear in the coming comics, with a new villain called Spider Monkey being introduced as Lukeboy's arch-nemesis. When the issues starring Lukeboy started selling remarkably better than the others, Polish discontinued the series and began the Lukeboy Comics. Controversy Following the story arc, The Cat, many complained about the grotesque nature of the new villain, Bobcat. After receiving numerous complaints from readers expecting cleaner stories, DLC proposed creating a separate series called Lukeboy Comics After Dark. The series would feature a new villain called Vile, who would grotesquely slaughter their victims. After several polls were run, the general consensus ruled against the comics being split in two, preferring that Lukeboy tackled all themes in the same series. Discontinuation Following the cancellation of Trevorman Comics, a small source of revenue for DLC was disbanded. Most of the company's earnings came out of Lukeboy Comics, and they only held through just barely enough to complete the Anti-Luke story arc. According to writer Lou Polish, "We practically had to beg Detective L Comics to let us finish the story. We were so close to the end, and we weren't about to give it all up." In 2009, the company's last resort was to rely on the upcoming Lukeboy film for further funding. While the film was critically acclaimed, its box office earnings did not provide enough money to complete the Out of Retirement story arc. In 1010, DLC officially went bankrupt, forcing the series to cancel completely. Adaptations Film In 2005, Lukeboy Comics received their first motion picture in the short film adaptation, Fast Money. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, and is often forgotten among the series' fanbase. In 2009, another movie was released based on the first five story arcs. Lukeboy was well-received, and is widely considered one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. Video Games A Lukeboy video game began development alongside the production of the 2009 movie. However, the project was canceled and the game was never completed. The Lukeboy website often featured flash games starring the characters. Among these, Lukeboy's Mansion and Spider Monkey's Run gained over 20 million players each, attaining a following and many fan-created expansions. In 2020, the crossover fighting game Screams of Silence featured settings and characters from Lukeboy Comics. Bobcat and Spider Monkey appeared as initial playable characters, alongside canceled character, Vile. They serve as villains in Story Mode, working under the Spirit Master to spread Silence to the Lukeboy universe. Lukeboy himself, as well as his adult equivalent, L, appear alongside Ana, The Moniker, and Shak in the purchasable "DLC DLC pack." In Other Media A wide array of Lukeboy merchandise was released, even years after the series' discontinuation. These included t-shirts, action figures, and plushies of the characters. During the series' run, Lukeboy appeared in several commercials advertising Pepsi. The character Natalia also became a signature mascot for beauty and fashion company, Makeover Today. Sequel In 2019, a sequel, L Comics, was released. It continues the story of Lukeboy Comics, set several years in the future.